are you serious? Pedro’s peak was the best peak of any pitcher in the history of baseball

TomG

no

Ron

Um, I’m pretty sure you’re forgetting Sandy Koufax. He got into the HOF based on his 5 peak years.

Barry

Pedro, at the very least, has a claim to the best peak ever. His ERA+ (relative to the league) far outdoes Koufax. Now, of course there’s a bit more to it. You could also claim Koufax’s peak is more impressive because he pitched more innings in different era, but Pedro was more dominant in comparison to to his contemporaries.

Hughes will not do that. Don’t expect it, because it’s not realistic.

jsbrendog

22 give him rocket’s number

http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

That jerk owes me $35 for the shirt I had to custom order when he was called up.

dan

I got a spring training jersey with buttons and whatnot. I say we trade him, what an asshole.

NYFan50

I was thinking about 6 also. I hope he gets 6. It’s not yet retired so it should, theoretically, be available…

jsbrendog

that’d be like a huge insult kinda wouldnt it?

Moose

Absolutely it would. Anyone who honestly thinks Hughes should take Torre’s old number is classless. The man is the best manager in Yankees history. He made all the players around him better. Moreover, in addition to having the second most wins in Yankees history as a manager, Torre was able to get those wins against MUCH better competition than the Yankees of the 20’s, 30’s, and 50’s era. In the days of free agency and PHD’s, NO ONE has been as successful as Torre. Times have changed drastically since the days of Stengle and McCarthy. Torre’s record speaks for itself. It’s going to be YEARS until a manager even comes close to those milestones again. Torre’s number stays untouched. Case closed.

NYFan50

I don’t see this as classless at all. If Hughes lives up to what we all hope he’s going to be, then seeing his number down in the single digits is right where it belongs. There are numbers that are retired for more than one player already, so there would be nothing amiss with having the number retired for Torre as well as Hughes (if he should have the career that warrants it).

Barry

Putting aside what influence a manager actually has, aren’t the teams of McCarthy and Stengel far more impressive? That’s when you had to be top of the league to get to the World Series. You couldn’t fall back on winning just the division or wild card. They had to put up with that, and still were quite a bit more successful than Torre.

zack

Umm, I’m not sure how someone else taking a # that isn’t retired is really an insult. A) its just a # B) lot’s of people have worn #s that have been retired eventually. Look at #8. and C) Can we stop with the Torre manlove for a bit. Sure, he did great, but saying he is the greatest ever because the competition is stronger is a fallacy of an argument. He also had a huge huge payroll.

chris fowler

damn those pesky PHDs.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph P.

We think it’s 45 because his preference is to have a “5” at the end of the number.

Rich

IIRC, he once said he wore #45 in hs, but it has been Pavano’s number, so I agree.

TurnTwo

someone on his webblog suggested he take #57… ha! lets see what kind of sense of humor Phil has…

Moose

How about double zero. Now that would be BAD ASS.

Rich M.

I think he goes with 50, the number he had in Trenton. Plus it is available now that Bowa left.

Spike

I think you nailed it, Rich. Its gonna be 50 now that Lead ’em home Larry is gone.

LiveFromNewYork

He said he wants a 5.

Tony the Drummer

Cmon people only that idiot Josh Towers has a single digit # as a pitcher. It looks silly.

Yeah 45 seems like it would be the only option.

Asking for ‘5’ would be like when Steve Sax asked for 3. That didnt go well…

http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/ Travis G.

please no to 45. the last thing we want is that Pavano luck attaching itself to Hughes.

Steve S

what about 14, adds up to 5, im sure betemit wouldnt mind, and its does have some good history

Rich M.

The real question is what happens to the save the big three t-shirts?

Phil

Ohhh the stigma of 45….Danny Tartabull, Pavano, anyone else?

jsbrendog

Joe Girardi and then When big Cec came in 96 Girardi gave it to him and switched to 25. So there’s 2 great #45’s right there. I reember when the Yanks got Big cecil Fielder I was ecstatic lol…….his huge lumbering swing filled with gaps……but that double off the wall in the world series during that 6 ruin comeback…..oh yeah baby

…Now, there’s Phil. But, Joba, Alberto the AG, Ross Ohlendorf, and Juan Miranda should all also probably get new, sub-60 numbers as well. (Humberto Sanchez has 77, but that number’s bad-ass, he should keep it.) And don’t forget that LaTroy Hawkins and Jonathan Albaladejo will need new numbers too, as their 32 and 53 aren’t available…

So, here’s what I like (in order of importance):

50 – Phil. There are no good 5 numbers left, other than 50. 50 has virtually no history, but it sounds like a good starting pitcher’s number. I like 19 as well (Dave Righetti). Just no 22… I don’t trust him enough for him to wear that.11 – Joba. He wore 44 most of his life. 11 would be a nice parallel. Plus, the ghosts of Lefty Gomez, Gary Sheffield, and Dwight Gooden’s no-hitter can’t hurt. (I’m going to remember the good Chuck Knoblauch and not the bad one…) Like Phil, 19 works as well, or even 22 (it’s half of 44, and I doubt Joba would be affected by the negative mojo), but 11 sounds like a HOF’er in the making.22 – Hawkins. He’s worn 32 pretty much everywhere… and, 23/33 aren’t available either. What ya gonna do? Clemens, he’s not.19 – Ohlendorf. He’s worn 33 for most of his minor league career, so 30 or 31 make sense, but we wore 19 at Princeton. Works for me.52 – Albaladejo. The only semi-natural switch from 53. This number has seventh-inning written all over it. Vizcaino and David Weathers weren’t here long enough to funk this number up…12 – Alberto. The ultimate utility infielder number. Plus, good Wade Boggs vibes. I feel like having some chicken and sex.30 – Miranda. Saw a picture of him at SWB with 30. Sounds decent for a first baseman.

——————————————————

One more note: Besides the already retired 16 numbers, we have 21 and 51, which I noted, plus 42 for Mo (already part of our 16), plus 2 for Jete, 6 for Torre, 13 for ARod, 20 for Posada, and 46 for Pettitte. So, that’s 7 more, bringing us up to 23. The other two numbers I’d like to see us consider retiring are 54 for Goose Gossage (especially now that he’s in the Hall) and 31 for Dave Winfield. Thoughts?

Am I the only one who would like Hank and Hal to reach out to Big Dave and try to smooth things over?

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-13-15-16-20-21-23-31-32-37-42-44-46-49-51-54.

Suck on that, Sox.

Sciorsci

Over/Under on the year that the Yanks go to three-digit uniforms? 2025? 2050?

http://mvn.com/milb-yankees Eric Schultz

Eric, I imagine Joba would want to stay with a number adding up to 8.

Jeff

Jesus nice post Eric – wow.
50 is quite high and seems weird to change from 65 to 50…
11/12 either which for Joba & Hughes.

chris fowler

i think higher and higher numbers will become the fashion as the yankees retire everyone and their mother’s numbers.

joba probably will stick with 62 (for the 8 thing).

i have to admit though, i liked 65 on phil. there’s something ironic about a good player with a high number that belongs in the minors.

i always thought it was cool that zito wears 75.

bostonsucks@life

I agree with mike a, I got the joba authentic road jersey, he should owe me a new one if he does go to a new one, however I don’t think I’ll get free bug spray with the new one

Jim L.

I hope he takes 12, I still have my Soriano, Lofton, Philips jersey waiting for some one worthy.

Dark Horses:
11 Juan Miranda (Hopefully starting by July)
12 Morgan Ensberg (pulls an A-Rod and puts a 1 in front of his #, or Nick Green depending on who has a better shot at making the team)
19 Jason Lane (Gotta give him something relatively low, not cool enough for 11)
22 Alberto Gonzalez (If they give it out at all)
30 Latroy Hawkins (Closest available to 32)
33 Ross Ohlendorf (Bruney won’t be around much longer)
43 Steven Jackson (or any other young potential bullpen candiate)

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